Panasonic is working with Tesla to make a new type of car battery. This battery doesn’t use a standard anode. Instead, the lithium metal anode forms after the first charge. This change lets Panasonic fit more active materials like nickel, cobalt, and aluminum into the same space. The battery can hold about 25% more energy, but it’s no bigger than before.
The current Model Y uses a 75 kWh battery and travels between 337 and 387 miles. With Panasonic’s battery, the range could increase by 90 miles. This means the Model Y could drive about 427 to 477 miles before needing a charge.
Panasonic could use the extra space differently too. They might shrink the battery, making the car lighter, but still keep the same driving range.
How Tesla and Panasonic work together
Tesla has worked with Panasonic for years. They started with a deal for nearly 2 billion battery cells in 2013. Then they built the Nevada Gigafactory, which is now the largest battery plant in the world. Panasonic has two big factories in the US. The Nevada plant can make about 41 GWh of batteries a year. A new Kansas plant adds about 32 GWh more. Together, they make around 73 GWh per year, and most of this goes to Tesla.
Tesla has lost some market share in the US this year, so longer driving ranges matter. The Model Y is Tesla’s top seller worldwide. By using this new battery in the Model Y, Tesla may keep ahead of competition.
Panasonic’s method beats competitors to market. Other companies, CATL, Samsung SDI, QuantumScape are working on solid-state batteries, but those might not arrive until 2027 or later.
Panasonic wants to use less nickel in these new batteries. Lowering nickel makes the battery cheaper but keeps it working as well as before. Cheaper batteries could make electric cars easier to buy.
Panasonic hasn’t told anyone the exact cost of making these new batteries yet. They’ve paused plans for a third US factory, waiting for EV demand to pick up before expanding more.
Panasonic is bringing this battery to market by 2027. The company wants to grow four times bigger by 2030, hoping to build up to 200 GWh of batteries each year, up from 50 GWh today.
This new technology could help drivers who worry about running out of battery. A Model Y that goes almost 480 miles on one charge means fewer stops to recharge. It would be close to what gasoline cars do.
Tesla’s other big plans could benefit too. Higher energy batteries could make lighter, smaller packs for products like the Cybercab and Optimus robot. Elon Musk wants to build these at a large scale, and lighter batteries make that easier.
Battery tech is a major part of making electric vehicles better. Panasonic’s anode-free battery could set a new standard for how far electric cars can go.
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